The Caliche boys fall in the 1A third place game 87-76 to Vail Christian.

Cole Kuskie provided a spark off the bench as Caliche battled to a loss against the Vail Christian Saints. (Jonathan Seib/Journal-Advocate)

BROOMFIELD – The streak was halted, but that doesn't mean that the Caliche Buffaloes don't have a lot to be proud of.

Caliche headed to the state tournament for the seventh straight year and tried to pick up their fifth straight title but fell short losing in the semi-finals to Shining Mountain before falling to the Vail Christian Saints 87-76 in the 1A Third Place game at the 1st Bank Center in Broomfield.

“It's not the storybook ending like it has been for these kids the last four years, but the kids played hard this weekend and I thought that they played with class and I think we represented Caliche very well and the northeastern part of the state very well so I extremely proud,” said Caliche head coach Randy Kirkwood.

“Win or lose I am proud of these kids.”

In the final quarter, the Buffs trailed by three heading in and were quickly behind by seven. That lead would roll out to nine in Vail's favor before a series of three-point plays, around the five minute mark would let Caliche close back within three. Kyle Gandee and Mitch Davison would both hit threes and Davison would also get a hoop and harm call.

The Buffs would stay within a two possession game up until the final two minute as they foul to stop the clock and Vail ran out ahead with free throw shooting to the final.

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It was the ebb and flow of the momentum tides in the first half and in the game. Caliche would roll out to a 10-4 lead in the first four minutes of the half. The game was started with a three from Gandee. But then the Saints would come right back in the game, tying things up with a pair of three-point plays, both hoop and harm calls.

The Buffs then would jump back out to a four-point lead, with all their points coming from the free throw line. Vail Christian's Branden Curry would hit back to back buckets to tie it once again before Davison would get his own hoop and harm call to give Caliche the lead back with three points. A three from Robby Bowles of the Saints tied it up again before Cole Kuskie would hit a free throw after the clock expired on an intentional foul call for the lead headed into the second.

Robbie Bowles would start the second quarter with back to back buckets for the Saints, one for three, to give his team its first lead of the contest 22-18.

Caliche would run out to a 29-24 lead in response before coughing up 11 straight points to the Saints, taking the game to just three minutes left in the quarter.

But the Buffs would make the most of those three minutes, scoring eight straight with Austin Yahn Starting the run with a bucket and free throws and Jordan Troester capping it with a free throw. Caliche would head into half time with the lead, 37-36.

The lead would change hands yet again at the start of the third with Vail's Nigel Johson scoring to take the lead and then the Saints would run it out to a 42-39 lead. Calichewould score six straight to take the lead again, with Gandee scoring three off of free throws and Davison draining one from beyond the arc to take the lead back.

The lead would change hands twice more in the final three minutes in a flurry of scoring, but the Saints would hit two from beyond the three-point arc and get a few free throws for a 60-57 lead headed into the fourth. Only a buzzer beating layup by Austin Yahn would get the game back within three points headed into the fourth.

Davison would lead the team in scoring in the final game of the season, putting up 23. Gandee put up 17 in his final game as a Buffalo, Chase Debus scored 13 , Yahn had 10, Dakota Kingsley scored six, Cole Kuskie had five and Eric Etl and senior Troester both had a single-point.

Troester would miss most of the second half of the game, injuring his ankle and having it splinted on the sidelines.

The Saints were led by Gunar Wilson, who had 32 points in the contest. Bowles scored 22 and Curry scored 13.

While the Buffs are young, coach Kirkwood said in no uncertain terms his team would miss the departing seniors.

“It's always hard that last game of the season because you have to say goodbye to your seniors and Kyle Gandee and Jordan Troester represented Caliche so well for the last four years and I am very proud of them,” said Kirkwood. “But we have a lot of good young guys coming back and hopefully this will motivate them for next year.”

Caliche lost to Shining Mountain on Friday night in the semi-finals, 64-40. Gandee led the team with 12 points in the loss.

“There was a lot of really good teams here and that is how it is supposed to be in the state tournament. So no, there is no shame there. We lost to good teams and sometimes that happens,” commented Kirkwood.